Pottershop. A nasty section of road leading into Bardstown, KY. 3 major climbs and two bonuses, peaking at 24%. I've failed to successfully climb this road twice. I would not fail a third time. From a stop sign the road goes about 50 feet and then become a wall.
Yesterday was the clubride version of Pottershop. Unlike the Old Kentucky Home Tour version, where Pottershop is placed at mile 96, on the clubride version it comes before lunch at mile 46.
For the first leg, I took it easy, falling in with the second pack of riders and enjoying some light conversation, talking up some of the upcoming roads with people who didn't know the area "No, we haven't actually been on any hills yet" "You, sir, have been misinformed"
After the first store stop, as we roll out I take a position in the front of the pack and start getting the legs warmed. I want them to be used to putting out some extended effort. Myself, another solo and a tandem start creeping away from the pack and then separating from each other. The other solo glides off the front and, despite our yelling, misses a turn, leaving the tandem and myself as the front two bikes. A series of rollers has the tandem slip out of sight, and checks in my mirror show no signs of the pack behind me.
I spend about ten miles traveling alone on my way to meet my foe. Steady effort keeping the legs working, a few out of the saddle efforts on climbs. I stop for a minute to flip and refold my cue sheet. Three more miles. A sudden realization that I'm actually coming to the road from the opposite direction than I had expected. Cool.
Quarter mile. Downshift and glide in. Right turn. HILL! Ease into it. Don't attack. Keep the cranks turning over. Half way up the first hill, false flat (it's still actually 8%), pick up a mph or two, keep the power steady. Top of the first climb. That's the second hardest one. Pick up speed to help carry you over the first bonus. Downhill. Work the legs a bit to loosen them. Second climb. keep it steady, don't work it too much. That's the easy one, it only peaks at 18%. Long downhill. Don't bother bombing it. Stretch the back and shoulders. Climb three. It only peaks at 22%, but is the longest, with a half mile 3% false flat splitting the two steeper sections, curving around hiding what's coming next. My legs are tired, my back is aching, I'm climbing this hill, dammit! I get passed right before the final crest. I tell him I was beginning to hope that I would be the first solo bike to make the end of the road, and then call him a skinny bastard. The final bonus is nothing at this point, just a 5% grade to get up to the main road.
Heavy traffic on this road. small climb. then bomb down hill...what is that? what is that! The road ahead looks weird. It's been torn up to repave! traffic behind me, can't slow down. this is gonna hurt....Blllahluhluhluhluh! It's only a quarter mile section. Catch the tandem ahead. and go to lunch. Other riders pull in right behind us so we have a good size lunch group.
As we roll out from a decent paceline works into a headwind to get out of town. a series of stiff rollers splits the group again. I join in chatting with another rider for a few miles and then get joined by a couple more, including the guy who passed me back on Pottershop. We're rolling on having a nice conversation and beginning to look forward to the final stop and begin talking of ice cream and hopes that there will be some to be had. I quip that there won't be any to be had if I get there first, which get slammed with a reminder of there being another hill between us and the store. Challenge accepted! A quick dash in a futile attempt to catch a green sign gets a good head of steam going to the hill. The one rider outpaces me, but mirror checks confirm that I'm keeping the other two at bay. At the top, a long flat is laid ahead with the other rider about a quarter mile up. spin, spin, spin. 23, 24. I think I'm gaining. 25, 26. He's within reach. We scream into the parking lot at 27 mph. I'm up maybe half a wheel length. We all eat some ice cream. Other riders join us at the store and we all gather up and ride the last 12 miles as a group.
No comments:
Post a Comment